Bako National Park in Sarawak

Bako National Park – You Should Visit This Place Once In A Lifetime

I’m honoured to be given an opportunity here at Malaysia Asia’s blog to introduce you to the splendor of Bako National Park, the oldest rainforest land in Sarawak. Leaving the hot and busy city of Kuching behind you, the world grows quiet as waves gently lap the sides of your boat. Within twenty minutes, in the distance, you see the majestic rock formations that frame the beach at Teluk Assam at the threshold of Bako National Park. As your feet touch the mud-coloured sands, I invite you to gaze at the rocks and allow your mind to wander; you might make out a shape that resembles an iguana’s head. Delight in the vibrant and rugged work of nature and remember that you are truly in Borneo, on the fringe of rainforests that have been here for hundreds of millions of years.

When you are in the Bako National Park, you will almost certainly want to experience one of the Park’s exhilarating jungle treks, preferably with a knowledgeable guide (check with the park’s ranger for available guide). After an afternoon clambering over rocks and alongside rushing waterfalls and meandering jungle streams, you will understand that Bako National Park is not for the faint-hearted, though with plenty of boardwalks and ladders it is still an ideal way to introduce yourself to the jungle. 

 A green viper seen at the park

If you want a more gentle introduction, I suggest you take the Paku trail: this is comparatively short and flat, ending on a beautiful beach. Then you might be tempted to take on the testing Limau trail but be warned, some travelers have become too exhausted to complete the walk and the boat pick-up from Limau beach is not necessarily reliable, especially during rough weather.

 Proboscis Monkey at Bako

Delightfully compact, I think of Bako National Park as a place where nature has delicately interwoven a variety of different ecosystems for you to enjoy and marvel at. Where else on Earth could you weave through the eerie twisted roots of Mangrove forests, perhaps catching a glimpse of the iconic proboscis monkey, at one moment while, in the next, you are hiking through the scrub-like padang or along the beach.

In fact, every type of vegetation to be found in Borneo can be experienced somewhere in this 27 square kilometers of park, including some varieties of carnivorous plants, such as the deadly pitcher which can be seen along the Lintang trail.

Wildlife abounds here; if you’re attentive you might see the monitor lizard up on its hind legs, surveying its domain. You are almost certain to see squirrels scurrying amongst the branches and Bako National Park is also home to the rare bearded pig. I would highly recommend staying overnight, since it at dusk that the wildlife really seems to come out. Do not forget to opt for the night jungle trekking too which is offered by the park itself. 

Snakes at Bako

If you would like to explore some of the more distant beaches, I would recommend booking, or looking out for, one of the many boat around that provide services during busy periods.

Before leaving this ancient wonder behind you, I suggest taking in the sunset over Teluk Assam, delighting in the sight of hundreds of hovering swifts, while contemplating the impressive backdrop of nearby Mount Santubong.

Lastly, if you have ever heard that Sarawak is the land of mysteries, Bako National Park will reveal half of its mysteries, and the remaining second half is waiting for you to explore at Annah Rais Longhouse. 

Stay tune for more write-up about Annah Rais Longhouse soon. Meanwhile, I invite you to visit Annah RaisLonghouse Adventure’s Facebook Page to connect with people from around the world who are going to reveal the mysteries of Bidayuh’s culture at Annah Rais longhouse.

Getting to Bako National Park:

Take Petra Jaya Bus No. 6 from Bus Stop No. 1 at Jln Market (next to open air market, opposite Electra House) to Kampung Bako. Bus departs every hour from 7am in the morning. Bus fare is at RM3 per person, and the journey will take approximately 40 minutes to arrive at Bako Market at Kampung Bako. You can also charter a taxi that will cost you around RM30/RM40 for a one way transfer from Kuching to Kampung Bako.

At the Bako National Park Jetty, purchase the park entrance ticket (cost RM10 per person) there, and the personnel there will help you to get the boat. You will expect to pay RM47 to the boatman for one way transfer to the park HQ. Max load for the boat is 5 person. Remember to ask the boatman to come back to the park again to pick you up on your last day of your trip.

This guest post was written by Lester Sim of Anna Rais Longhouse in Sarawak, Borneo. 

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Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah

Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah is the biggest single holiday which is state wide and celebrated throughout North Borneo for a full month. The end of May marks the final days of the festival where it will be held at the KDCA (Kadazandusun Cultural Association) or Hongkod Koisaan center in Penampang. Thousands of locals and tourist will head here for the closing ceremony and also the finals of the Unduk Ngadau 2011 Harvest Beauty Queen Contest.

At the KDCA grounds, there will be an exciting and totally different atmosphere where locals will be seen with song and dance while visit to the many ethnic homes offer guests a tasting of local foods and playing the traditional games here. All sorts of stalls line a section of the grounds with demonstrations of agriculture and ethnic handcraft. Souvenirs locally made are sold and abundance of food and drink stalls are readily available for the hungry. Be prepared to have a unique experience for the Kaamatan Festival here which is on the 30th and 31st of May.

Hongkod Koisaan Center in Penampang

KDCA in Penampang, Sabah

While the KDCA is located about 15-20 minutes from Kota Kinabalu town, this will be the main area where everything will be happening over the last two days of May. Many of the ethnic cultures from around Sabah will be here showcasing their traditions, food and culture. There are a number of original ethnic houses located throughout the premises here and each are fully decorated by the individual tribe. Performers in each home entertain visitors with song and dance while some offer the local food and rice wine called Tapai or Lihing.

Bobohizan priestess and her family

The Kadazan Priestess called Bobohizan is one of the most important people of the Kaamatan Festival. She will determine the official harvest festival date and officiate it. As this ceremony goes back hundreds of years, the involvement of a Bobolian is crucial to the ceremony here. At the KDCA, you will have a chance to see the priestess in person while her direct descendants will be around here. As she is a very respected and serious person, please do not approach her and ask her for a photograph.

Some of the ritual items used by the Bobohizan for the Kaamatan

Even pets are dressed for the occasion

If you are planning on visiting the KDCA for the end of the Kaamatan Festival, I suggest you go early to witness this. The many 'Open Homes' will be an interesting visit while overall, it could take up to half a day here or even a full day if you want to witness the Harvest Queen Finals inside the main building. Overall, it is an experience to remember if you do visit this place. One of my highlights here was the stunning and intricate costumes of the various Borneo people. Every home I visited showed me something different and unique. See for yourself in the pictures. Below, are pictures taken by me during the Kaamatan 2010 Festival in Sabah.

A local ethnic lady in full traditional costume

Cloth weaving demonstration

 A cow decorated with all sorts of local fruits

A common scarecrow which are found in the fields on display here

 

Walai Tindal - A very small ethnic group from the Kota Belud district in Sabah

 Display of local handicraft and tools used for harvesting

A local headman in traditional costume

 

The main grounds at the KDCA. Games and contests are also held here.

A dancer in interesting headgear

Another local ethnic group performs in one of the traditional homes

 An ethnic lady poses with a Tagung (gong)

 

 A traditional headgear on display. Very intricately done.

Couple in full traditional attire

Tasting the local Tapai or Lihing (Rice Wine)

People trying out the various brews of Tapai and Lihing

I have to say that attending last years Kaamatan 2010 was an eye opener for me in learning more about the Sabahan ethnic cultures. As this is the biggest festival, it is also one of the best places to see the many different tribes in just one area. I love the fact that they were all in full traditional costume while most of them had the local dance and also featuring some of the specialty dishes that the tribes cook.

While some showcase the local Rice Wine called Tapai and also a more potent brew called Lihing, many of the adults are seen moving around the homes testing the drinks out. Long straws are inserted into jars where everyone takes a sip as they walk pass. Apparently the festival starts early in the mornings and end very late at night. I was told that the party gets to be very merry once the sun goes down. Children are seen having a merry time while adults are catching up with old friends in this merry occasion. Competitions are also held while by noon, most of the visitors head into the main hall to see the harvest beauty pageant.

Traditional performances inside the main hall before the Unduk Ngadau Pageant

Check out the grand prize! 

Unduk Ngadau 2011 Finals in Sabah

For more articles on Sabah, I have over 50 articles on the Land Below the Wind. 

More information;
Organiser : Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA)
Venue : Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), Penampang
Contact Person : Dr. Benedict Topin
Telephone : +60 88 713696
Fax : +60 88 713350
Email Contact : bovis@asia.com

Dates: 30th and 31st May 

Please Take Note: During the festival, the entire state of Sabah will be on Public Holiday. That means on the 30th and 31st which is a Monday and Tuesday, it will be a very long holiday over there. Almost everything will be closed so be prepared.

Finally, a note of thanks goes out to Sabah Tourism for making my trip possible. I spent a good two days here to fully experience what the festival is all about and learned a lot from these amazing people. As for this year, I took a pass on visiting again so maybe next year, I will make another visit to catch the 2012 Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah.

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Matta Fair August 2011 at PWTC Kuala Lumpur

Matta Fair August 2011 at PWTC Kuala Lumpur will be held from 12-14 Aug this year during the fasting month of Ramandan. This will be the last travel fair in Malaysia until 2012 and you can expect a ton of bargains here. Firstly, if you have been planning for a vacation or holiday for the end of this year, you should visit this fair to look for selected travel packages that suit your desires. They have tour companies offering all sorts of travel deals for 2011, cheap airline tickets and even buy 1 free 1 travel promotions. Family travel or travel packages with kids are popular while individual travelers have a chance to browse around for the best deals.

There will also be a special Bridal Exhibition and Honeymoon Packages Fair at the main Hall 1 in PWTC. Chairman John Tan assured that only reputable bridal companies will be selected for the Matta Bridal Fair. The official theme will be 'Enrich your life, Go Travel'. For those who are interested in participating at the Matta Fair 2011, registration for exhibitors starts on 6th June 2011.

Beautiful promoter girls at the Matta Fair 2011

 The crowd during the 3 day fair

For Muslim Travelers, there are also an increased promotion for destinations with Muslim Tours and Packages. During the last Matta Fair in March 2011, I noticed many of the travel agents selling Halal Tours to Beijing and around China. Another popular Halal Tour Package is Thailand, especially Southern Thailand towns of Krabi and Hat Yai. Upon interviewing some of them, they informed me that there was a demand from the Malay market for these tours which included China, Vietnam and even Hong Kong Muslim Packages.

All sorts of travel promotions at the Matta Fair 2011

The usual large companies will be here offering you a variety of travel choices and don't forget about the airline companies that will be offering cheap travel tickets and also holiday packages. AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, FireFly and Berjaya Air will surely be promoting their new destinations. 

Other large tourism bodies like Thailand Tourism, Indonesia Tourism, Taiwan Tourism, New Zealand Tourism, Tourism Australia and Tourism Malaysia will be having their own large booths promoting the individual places of interest from the respective countries. Even for Malaysia, the individual state tourism bodies will be participating here. Some of the regulars would be Sabah Tourism, Sarawak Tourism Board, Langkawi Tourism apart from the main Tourism Malaysia gigantic booth. If you want local Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Packages, I suggest you visit the main hall for this.

All kinds of travel packages available

As the fair attracts all walks of life, even the hoteliers have taken up booths at the fair to promote their chain of hotels here. Some well known hotels like Holiday Villa, Equatorial and even boutique and high end hotels are seen selling packages to their establishments. One of the popular resorts - Club Med, will be having the special Club Med Matta Fair Promotions as they do yearly. The promotions are only valid when you buy it at the fair and they are absolutely worth it.

For those who have been to this fair, you will know the usual layout so be prepared for a fun three days of fun filled activities here. For those who have never been, the Matta Fair is always held at the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur and occupies 3-4 halls here. It is one of the largest and most successful travel fairs in the region with over 100,000 visitors at any fair. There will be lots of walking so come prepared.

State Tourism participating at Matta Fair 2011

Among some of the interesting promotions are the Sabah Packages with the participation by Sabah Tourism. About 25-30 booths will be showcasing some of Sabah Borneo's best destinations. Check out Equator Tours booth here as they offer some of the best Sabah Travel Packages at Matta Fair 2011. Some other highlights are that you also find travel related items for sale here. Cameras are seen being sold as you walk to the main halls while promoters would be along the walkway holding signs and cards of camera prices inviting you to go into their showrooms here. Companies selling t-shirts are also seen while inside the halls, you can find popular brands of travel luggage and apparels being sold.

Below are the details for this years fair;

Matta Fair August 2011

Date: 12-14 August

Time: 10AM - 9PM

Venue: Putra World Trade Center (PWTC) Kuala Lumpur, KL

Telephone: +603 92876881
Hall 1 and 2 - International Travel
Hall 3 - Domestic Travel
Hall 4 - Wedding and Honeymoon Expo

TIP: Note that the fair is held during the fasting month therefore many of the counters will be closed during the break of fast at around 7.00 - 7.30pm.

For those holding the EON Bank Matta Card, you will get free entrance to the fair.

I will update more information as we get closet to the fair date so please bookmark this page. You can subscribe to my page from the top right corner or follow me on Facebook or Twitter for updates.

How to go to Matta Fair 2011 at PWTC

• Self drive there and park around the PWTC area, Hentian Putra or the open car parks
• Here's a tip if you don't want to spend time looking for parking - Drive up to the Seri Pacific Hotel (old Pan Pacific Hotel) entrance and give your car to the valet parking which cost about RM15 the entire day. No hassles as you simply walk straight into the Matta Fair from the hotel entrance.
• Other option would be to come very early and park in the PWTC
• Another place would be to park across at The Mall Shopping Center and walk over.
• Avoid parking along the road illegally as you are bound to get summoned by the police
• Again I stress, to avoid the traffic jam, you need to head there very early before 11am

By Taxi: 
Hop into any taxi and tell them Matta Fair at Putra World Trade Center or PWTC.

By Bus:

• An Intrakota Bus stops just outside the Jukebox Shoe Shop opposite the Puduraya Bus Station and this bus goes to Hentian Putra which is opposite PWTC. It will cost approximately RM1.20 (US$0.35) one way.

By Train:

• Visitors who travel to the Matta Fair 2011 from March 11 to 13 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) trains will receive a 25% discount on their ticket fare.
• They should inform the officers at the ticketing counter at the train station that they are going to KL Sentral for the Matta Fair before buying their tickets. Those who buy tickets at the KTMB booth for travel to any part of the country or Singapore would get the 25% discount regardless of the number of people traveling. The discounts are available from March 11 to 13th 2011.
• STAR LRT stops at the PWTC Station and is a short walk to the Matta Fair.
• PUTRA LINE LRT stops at Masjid Jamek Station and you change with STAR LRT.

Without fail, I make it a point to visit the fairs to get information and meet old friends here. For those of you who missed out on the last travel fair in March, you can be assured that this time around, there will be more participants at the upcoming Matta Fair August 2011 at PWTC.

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The Bund in Shanghai Picture of the Week

The Bund in Shanghai is my Picture of the Week. Taken on a very cold April night in 2010, I personally would like to revisit Shanghai again due to how impressed I was with this metropolitan city. As my Malaysian friends working there took me out for an amazing dinner, we then hit The Bund (外滩)to see how beautiful it was at night. A little bit of history here - The word "bund" means an embankment or an embanked quay. The word comes from the Hindi-Urdu word band, which has Persian origins and meant an embankment, levee or dam.

Famous for the old buildings and wharf which is just beside the famous Huangpu River, this place divides the old and new Shanghai which is Pudong. In the early days, this was the main financial hub of China with many multi national banks and trading houses having their businesses here. What remains now is the beautiful architecture of an era gone by. For those visiting to catch the beautiful lights at night, please take note that they shut the lights off at around 10pm. Another place to have a fantastic view would be from across the Huangpu River and from one of the bars up top the tallest buildings in the world where you can see the entire stretch of The Bund in Shanghai.

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Ko Lipe Walking Street, Thailand

Ko Lipe Walking Street will be everyone's hangout when you set foot on this beautiful island located in the Southwest part of Thailand. Getting here is no easy task as there is much work to be done in getting the times of the ferries and so on. Note - Only ferries go to Ko Lipe, no planes, no buses, nothing. This one-a-backpacker-heaven which has recently opened up to commercial tourism is now one of the must-visit places when you travel to Thailand. I had the luxury of visiting this beautiful place twice in a year, once during the peak season and the other during the off season and found it to be totally different.

Firstly, the walking street will be your everyday hangout unless you choose to just eat, play, love in your room but at any one point, you would need to pass this place. It tends to be very lively in the evenings right till about midnight. Some of the commercial shops would close by about 9-10pm while restaurants, bars and Internet cafes will remain open till about midnight or a little later.

Morning alms giving on the Walking Street

As I have been to Lipeh twice in one year, I managed to catch the best of both seasons - peak and non-peak on different visits. The entire area seemed like a ghost town in June while towards the end of the year, it looks like a 24-hour island festival. Lipeh Walking Street stretches for about a kilometer long from the main Pattaya Beach right to the main junction inland. Branded as the heart of Lipe, everything and anything can be found here making this a must-stop spot for all visitors.

Creative designs seen

From dive shops, Internet cafes, specialty bakeries, foreign run restaurants right till local stalls, you can find just about anything here except the ATM Machines. Yes, there is no bank here in Ko Lipe so you need to come prepared with good old cash. Alternatively some outlets will accept credit card cash advances but be prepared to pay premium prices for this. While the most prominent businesses you will come across are the massage and Internet centers or better still, Internet and Massage in one place.

Best of both worlds

Food is a haven here as you get almost all kinds of local and international food along this street. For the Muslim travelers, there is even Halal Food available here. During my multiple visits here, I saw Indian, Western, Mexican and Chinese food available aside from the many local Thai restaurants. Prices are pretty decent and affordable too. For the budget conscious, there are many local stalls that sell food below 50 Baht too.

Lipeh Walking Street during off peak season

The main street was actually a sand path made by the local Chow Ley people who are the islanders and due to the boom in tourism here, the mainland government got involved and revamped the walking street. A cement road about 8 feet wide was laid all the way here. However, this stole the natural charm of the island away making it look very commercialized so the locals decided to cover the concrete path with heaps of sand from the beach nearby. 'Now it looks authentic' claims one of the local vendors when I spoke to them about this.

Beachwear on sale

For those who are over dressed, you would be pleased to know that there are even a couple of boutiques here selling beach wear of all sorts. Looking closely, the prices were very cheap too. You even get some local souvenirs here while do not be surprised if you see a boutique doubling as a sundry shop.

Pee Pee Bakery on Ko Lipe Island

Getting a Thai Massage

One of the fun things to do is try out the local Thai Massages. I counted on my first trip and there must have been at least 10 outlets offering massages. Prices are really cheap starting from 300 Baht an hour for the small outlets while hotel services charge about 400-600 Baht. Some centers are even combining services such as manicures, pedicures, facial and hair braiding services. During my stays here, I must have went for one massage every night after a long day diving.

Thai Pancake Shop Menu

Thai pancake being made by local girl

A must try for those coming here is the Thai Pancake or Rotee. The cafes or stalls sell them along the street and are absolutely mouth watering. You can have them plain or filled with a savory or sweet filling of your choice. Locally in Malaysia, we call them Roti Canai or in Singapore - Prata Bread. I found a acquired taste with the Rotee and Nutella Chocolate combined with some iced Thai coffee. This became my staple meal for supper.

Wedding on Ko Lipe Island

My highlight of the Lipe Walking Street was during the off season when I visited in June 2010. About 70% of the businesses here were shut therefore the place looked like an island ghost town. As we ventured into the dark street one night, loud thumping music was heard from the start and our curiosity lead us to it. What a surprise, a local Island Wedding was going on inside one of the compounds just off the street. The entire island was there enjoying this jovial occasion. Upon walking into the crowd here, we were instantly invited to join in and without offending the locals, we politely accepted in a shyly manner. Beer was passed around to us while some dragging us to dance merrily with the rest. Young and old were seen having a joyous time and I ended up dancing with one of the village elders who was quite tipsy. After about 45 minutes here, we politely excused ourselves as the following day, we had an early boat trip back to the mainland.

For those who are planning on visiting this island paradise in the Andaman Sea, you should take note about the logistics of Getting To Koh Lipe as the only possible way here is via boat. As Koh Lipe is the south most island on the west of Thailand, it is the only populated island in the Taruto Marine Park.

Once here, there are three main beaches with accommodations and moving around will be on foot or via longtail taxi boats. This is also one of the last non-fully developed islands in the region so if you dislike heavily populated islands, this is your kind of place. Nothing beats walking barefoot around the island and making daily visits to the Ko Lipe Walking Street.

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Khao Kop Cave in Trang, Thailand

Khao Kop Cave in Trang, Southern Thailand is one of the must-visit places if you are into Eco-Tourism or simply a cave lover. Coming from a tropical country where we have many caves, this place has to be one of the most interesting caves I have visited in my travels. Located in the Trang Province and a very small area here, the nearest town or city is Hat Yai. This place is also located alone the way from Hat Yai to Krabi so for those driving, it would be easy to just stop over here. Judging from the picture above, you are probably wondering what goes on inside this cave which is locally known as Tham Le Khao Kob which is part of the Kao Kop Mountain here.

Khao Kob Cave Entrance

As this was a familiarization trip with Tourism Thailand, we were brought here via a tour van with an excellent guide who knew the area really well. A small office complex was suddenly seen at the main entrance to the Kao Kob Caves as we arrived. Just nearby, two bright gold walls serve as the main entrance to the caves while well manicured landscaping surrounded the entrance. We then crossed a short bridge over a small river where the natural scenery looked untouched. As the name is called Khao Kop, the sign there clearly mentioned Le Khaokob Cave so I wondered if this was meant for the French Cavers? I'll never know as I totally forgot to ask. 

Paddle Boats at Kao Kop Caves

As we crossed over the bridge, there was a jetty with a number of paddle boats waiting for us, each with a local boatman who would take up to six persons per boat. Now here's the fun part - The boat man will decide who sits on which boat as there were about 8 of us here. Reasons I will explain later. Once everyone was on board, we made our way through the little river with lots of green on both sides.

Start of the boat trip

Each boat has a captain and an assistant. The captain will steer the boat while the assistant becomes the rudder at the back. As this was purely paddle power, there was no electrical or motorized activity at all making this a very Eco-friendly place. The journey in the beginning takes about 10 minutes before we reach the cave entrance. First stop, we head in and disembark at a natural platform area where we start to trek inside the caves.

Stunning cave lighting inside

I have to say that the authorities here have done a fantastic job with the overall experience. The walkways inside the caves were very clean while the lighting was spectacular. Very well lit, the colors were in reds, greens and yellows. Each highlighting the unique areas of the caves. While some would dread the colors here, it looked very beautiful. The trek inside lead us to another exit where the paddle boats were waiting for us and we continued to the next cave.

Entering the Dragon's Backbone at Khao Kob Cave

Here's the fun part. The cave actually resembles a dragons torso where it is believed that we are traveling through the backbone of a dragon. As we get deeper inside, the passage way over water starts to become narrow and lower. This magnificent cave waterway stretches over 800 meters long in here. Once the ceiling becomes lower, the captain starts telling us to lie down inside the boat.

Lying down flat on the boat as we navigate through the Dragons backbone

As you can see, we laid down while the captain navigates us through the passage ways here. Such an exciting ride, I told my friends while they looked worried. I simply thought this was a fun ride and did not think much about it as I am so-called used to adventure. Little did I know what was awaiting ahead.

Cave ceiling starts to get lower and lower as we pass through

The passage started to become narrower as we inched out way through the rocks. Looking back, I saw the assistant using his hands to navigate us through the rocks. Looking up, the ceiling was getting lower and lower. I was literally about 70 degrees laid down trying to take pictures (the ones you see here) while Mr.Captain told me to lay flat down in a more serious manner. OK. I better listen to the captain then.

Dragons Belly, maneuvering through in a boat. This is the lowest ceiling point

And it came, the most thrilling part of the boat ride. Just take a look at the picture above. There were six of us on the boat and everyone was laid flat down in order to pass through here. I swear, this was the most thrilling ride in my life. As we maneuvered slowly through this very narrow section, I dare not even move my head. Parts of the ceiling was actually touching my nose as we skimmed through here.

Here's the funny part - at one point, my tummy got caught on one of the stalagmites and the boat just stopped. I gave a loud 'ouch' which both captain and assistant started to use their hands holding the rocks to reverse the boat as we could not proceed. Talk about needing to lose weight. My friends were laughing while laid totally horizontally and they managed to reverse the boat to move a few inches to the right in order to pass this section. I tell you, it was no joke seeing the ceiling pass through a few inches from your eyes and this was definitely one of the most thrilling adventures I have experienced in my life.

Elephant Foot Stalagmite inside Kao Kop Cave

The area we we passed through must have been about 80-100 meters long so that was most thrilling indeed. It was known as the dragon's stomach and can only be accessed when the water levels are low. When it rains, the boats will not go as waters rise inside the caves.

We came to another stop inside the caves where the journey continued on foot inside. This time around there were all kinds of mini stalagmites and stalactites to be seen. As incredible as the pictures look, I spent a good time trying my best to photograph these with a 80% success rate. All because we had a tight schedule ahead while the boat men had informed our guide that rain was approaching. If it did rain heavy and the waters rose, we would have been stick inside here.

Thousands of mini stalagmites lit up in the cave

A huge wall of stalagmite and stalactites along the walkway

Mini stalagmite formations inside the cave

Walkway towards the boats

Natural prayer alter inside the cave

Walking inside the caves was very cooling while there were even natural alters where the Thai people would come in and pray. Colorful pieces of cloth were wrapped around certain stalactites which were prayed to. Each time we passed one, the guide would grasps his palms together and perform the 'wai' in respect. Seeing him do it made us all follow as well. I asked him who the 'god' was and he said that some of them are actually guardians of the caves.

Droplets of water inside the cave

The office complex outside the caves

Finally when we got out of the Khao Kop cave, the weather had changed drastically. Dark clouds had formed and droplets of rain fell. The boatman spoke to our guide in Thai and then he translated it as saying that the gods waited for us to exit before starting to rain. It was a good sign indeed. An experience worth telling everyone about and something I will never forget. Water Caving in Thailand.

The cost to rent a boat for maximum six people is Baht 200. However, the captain and the assistant should be given additional tips as they did a marvelous job here. It takes skill to do this and I hear they are paid very little. So, we chipped in and gave them both a token of appreciation. 

As you exit from the cave river, you will be welcomed by locals who have already attached your photograph on to a souvenir plate(They took our picture just before we started the boat trip). This is sold at Baht 150 per souvenir. Aster the thrilling experience, this was the only souvenir available so I bought one. It is not everyday there are hoards of tourist here therefore we all bought one each helping contribute to the tourism economy here.

The overall length of the water cave is 800 meters long while the thrilling lying down part is about 350 meters long. This is one of the best adventure tourism in Southern Thailand and also one of the most Eco-friendly tourism attraction here. For the serious cavers, there are many other caves in the ares namely the Konthan Cave, Thongprarong Cave, Paeng Cave, Petch Cave, Sawanh Cave and Ply Caves here. Arrangements can be made with the local authorities.

More information about Trang from Wiki.

For more information, you can also contact the Tambon Administration Organization at Telephone Number:  0-7527-1426 

Map to Khao Kop Cave in Trang

View Khao Kob Cave -Tham Le Khao Kop in a larger map

How to go to Kao Kop Caves?

If you are driving or riding, take the Petkasem Road (Highway 4 from Trang to Krabi), pass through the town of Huai Yot and turn left at the 7km marker on to the concrete road of The Office of Accelerated Rural Development, travel for 700 meters and the Tourist Center of Tham Le Khao Kop is located at the end.

For those headed to Hat Yai and have extra time, you should inquire about a half day quick trip here. It is about one to two hours drive from Hat Yai Town. Avoid this place during the rainy season as you will not be able to experience it due to the high waters. Seriously, if you want something different and memorable, I would recommend you come and experience the Khao Kop Caves in Southern Thailand.

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